How to Brew Alder at Home

Alder is our everyday coffee because it is generous, not fussy. Expect chocolate, toasted nuts and enough red-fruit brightness to keep the cup moving. It works in almost any brewer; this is the simple filter recipe we return to at home.

What you need

• 18 grams of Alder
• 300 grams of filtered water
• A medium grind, close to table salt
• A filter brewer, paper and a set of scales

Use water just off the boil. Rinse the paper first, empty that water, then add the ground coffee and settle the bed with a gentle shake.

The three-minute recipe

1. Pour 50 grams of water, making sure every ground is wet.
2. Wait 40 seconds. This short bloom lets trapped gas escape.
3. Pour slowly to 180 grams, moving in small circles.
4. Pause for ten seconds, then continue to 300 grams.
5. Give the brewer one gentle swirl and let it drain.

The final drops should fall close to three minutes. Do not chase the clock exactly; taste is the useful measurement.

If the cup is not quite right

If it tastes sharp or thin, grind a little finer. If it tastes dry, bitter or heavy, go coarser. If it is simply too strong, add ten or twenty grams more water before changing the grind.

Change one thing at a time, write down what worked, and keep the version that makes you want another cup. That is a better recipe than any number we can give you.